Semiconductor light sources, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) or the like, have recently achieved performance levels which allow these light sources to used to construct automotive lighting system components, such as headlamps.
While semiconductor light sources offer a variety of advantages over incandescent, gas discharge and other conventional headlamp light sources, they also offer different challenges in their use.
In particular, to obtain sufficient levels of light from the semiconductor light sources, the light sources typically must be operated at, or near, their maximum recommended operating conditions. At such operating conditions, to obtain desired operating lifetimes for the semiconductor light sources, it is necessary to provide a significant amount of cooling to the semiconductor junctions of the semiconductor light sources.
Further, the optical pathway and components of the headlamps must be carefully designed and constructed to make efficient use of the light produced by the semiconductor light sources, as such light sources generally do not produce an excess of light.
Due to the wide range of environmental conditions in which an automotive lighting system must operate, it can be difficult to achieve the necessary cooling of the semiconductor light sources without potentially impacting the efficiency of the optical pathway and components.